Bill English MP National Party Finance Spokesman

18 September 2008

Desperate Labour can't have it both ways

"She's saying one thing, he's saying another. The increasingly desperate Labour leadership must settle on their story about the country's fiscal position," says National Party Finance spokesman Bill English.

"In the past few weeks Helen Clark and Michael Cullen have contradicted each other.

"Helen Clark's staff have been spinning that there'll be major new spending announcements for the election, while Michael Cullen's crowing about how he has spent the lot and the cupboard is bare.

"They can't both be right.

"The reality is that the New Zealand economy is currently in recession, and the US economy in particular is looking shaky.

"The appropriate fiscal policy response is a conservative one, with any new initiatives clearly aimed at strengthening our economy. That will be National's approach.

"Only a strong economy will allow us to ensure financial security for families, well-paid jobs in New Zealand for our young people and larger superannuation payments for our older people."

National will bring discipline to government spending, stop the massive rise in bureaucracy, and institute an ongoing plan of personal tax cuts that will encourage hard work and help keep our workforce in New Zealand.

"The question the country needs an answer to is, 'what would Labour do?' Is it to be massive new spending bribes in the hope of one last hurrah, or will there be some discipline?

"Dr Cullen must stop the political game playing and tell the country what Labour's approach will be."

ENDS

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